Leeds Central

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Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983–2024

title: "Leeds Central" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["parliamentary-constituencies-in-west-yorkshire-(historic)", "constituencies-of-the-parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-established-in-1885", "constituencies-of-the-parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-disestablished-in-1955", "constituencies-of-the-parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-established-in-1983", "constituencies-of-the-parliament-of-the-united-kingdom-disestablished-in-2024", "politics-of-leeds"] description: "Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983–2024" topic_path: "politics" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds_Central" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, 1983–2024 ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox UK constituency main"]

Field	Value
name	Leeds Central
parliament	uk
image	[[File:LeedsCentral2007Constituency.svg
caption	2010–2024 boundary of Leeds Central in West Yorkshire
map2	EnglandWestYorkshire
map_entity	West Yorkshire
map_year	2010
year	1983
abolished	2024
type	Borough
previous	Leeds South, Leeds South East, Leeds East, Leeds West and Leeds North East
next	Leeds Central and Headingley
Leeds South
year2	1885
abolished2	1955
previous2	Leeds
next2	Leeds West, Leeds South and Leeds South East
towns	Leeds
region	England
county	West Yorkshire
electorate	90,971 (December 2019)
elects_howmany	One
::

Leeds Central was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The constituency first existed from 1885 until it was abolished in 1955. It was recreated in 1983.

Further to the completion of the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, the seat was abolished again. Subject to boundary changes involving the loss of most Leeds city centre to the newly created constituency of Leeds Central and Headingley, the seat will be reformed as Leeds South, to be first contested in the 2024 general election.

Boundaries

1885–1918: The Municipal Borough of Leeds wards of Mill Hill and West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick and Central.

1918–1950: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Central, Mill Hill, South, and West, and parts of the wards of Brunswick, Headingley, and North West.

1950–1951: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Armley and New Wortley, Blenheim, Central, Holbeck North, Mill Hill, and South and Westfield.

1951–1955: The County Borough of Leeds wards of Blenheim, City, Wellington, and Westfield.

1983–1997: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston, City and Holbeck, Richmond Hill, and University.

1997–2010: As above plus Hunslet.

2010–2024: The City of Leeds wards of Beeston and Holbeck, Burmantofts and Richmond Hill, City and Hunslet, Hyde Park and Woodhouse, and Middleton Park.

Following the Leeds City Council ward boundary changes prior to the 2018 election, the majority of the City and Hunslet ward became the new Hunslet and Riverside ward, whilst Leeds city centre was included in the new Little London and Woodhouse ward. Hyde Park became part of a new Headingley and Hyde Park ward, shared with the Leeds North West constituency.

Constituency profile

The business and retail centre of Leeds was at the constituency's heart. A relatively affluent hub having a large minority of its housing forming by luxury, well-served apartments or streets of grand middle-class Victorian houses, the seat has sporadic deprivation, typified by certain densely packed rows of terraced houses, home to many Labour-inclined and often low-income voters. Two large, well-ranked universities in the city centre, the professional services sector and a 21st-century increase in technology businesses has brought prosperity to the younger generations of the city. The older generations of the city have lived through the closure of many mass consumer product manufacturing and materials processing businesses in Leeds throughout the mid-20th century. Leeds' two universities produce a significant student electorate. Middleton in the south of the seat has a golf course, a miniature railway and an upcoming urban mountain bike trail centre within the boundaries.

::data[format=table title="'''Households as at March 2011[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Parish: Key Statistics: Economic.] ([[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 census]]) Retrieved 2016-05-04.'''"]

Status	Number
	Not Deprived in Any Dimension
	Deprived in 1 Dimension
	Deprived in 2 Dimensions
	Deprived in 3 Dimensions
	Deprived in 4 Dimensions
::

History

First creation

The constituency was created in 1885 by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, and was first used in the general election of that year *the large Leeds seat had previously been represented by two MPs (1832–1868) and three MPs (1868–1885)). From 1885 it was represented by five single-member constituencies: Leeds Central, Leeds East, Leeds North, Leeds South and Leeds West. The constituencies of Morley, Otley and Pudsey were also created in 1885. The constituency was abolished in 1955. After the 1955 general election: Leeds was represented by Leeds East (created 1885, abolished 1918, recreated 1955), Leeds North East (created 1918), Leeds North West (created 1950), Leeds South (created 1885), and Leeds South East (created 1918). There were also constituencies of Batley and Morley (created 1918) and Pudsey (created 1885, replaced by Pudsey and Otley 1918–1950).

Second creation

;Revival The constituency was re-created for the 1983 general election.

;Results of the winning party The seat has been won by the Labour Party's candidate since 1983. Benn, elected in 1999 on the demise of Fatchett, has achieved an absolute majority (plurality of votes) in three of five elections for Leeds Central. The 2015 result made the seat the 40-safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.

;Opposition parties Conservative runner-up, Wilson, in 2015 failed to reflect the positive national swing and fell to 17.3% of the votes cast. A candidature of UKIP, not present in 2010, saw a total share of the vote, hence positive swing, of 15.7% and thus third position.. Green Party running, not present in 2010, resulted in a 7.9% polling and fourth-place, its candidate retained his deposit. The fifth-placed Liberal Democrat forfeited her deposit..

;Turnout In general elections, turnout ranged from 87.9% in 1910 to 41.7% in 2001. In its 1999 by-election the constituency experienced the lowest voter turnout post-war of 19.6%.

Members of Parliament

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Official_portrait_of_Rt_Hon_Hilary_Benn_MP_crop_3.jpg" caption="1999"] ::

MPs 1885–1955

Leeds prior to 1885

::data[format=table] | Election | l|1|date=March 2012}} | Party | |---|---|---| | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | 1885 | Gerald Balfour | | Liberal Party (UK)}}" | | 1906 | Robert Armitage | | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | 1922 | Arthur Willey | | Conservative Party (UK)}}" | | 1923 by-election | Sir Charles Wilson | | Labour Party (UK)}}" | | 1929 | Richard Denman | | National Labour Party (UK)}}" | | 1931 | National Labour | | Labour Party (UK)}}" | | 1945 | George Porter | | | 1955 | Constituency abolished | ::

MPs 1983–2024

Leeds South and Leeds South East prior to 1983

::data[format=table]

Election	Member	Party
Labour Party (UK)}}"		1983
Labour Party (UK)}}"		1999 by-election
	2024	Constituency abolished
::

Election results 1983–2024

Elections in the 1980s

|title=General election 1983: Leeds Central}} |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Derek Fatchett |votes = 18,706 |percentage = 47.9 |change = |party = Liberal Party (UK) |candidate = Peter Wrigley |votes = 10,484 |percentage = 26.9 |change = |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Michael Ashley-Brown |votes = 9,181 |percentage = 23.6 |change = |party = British National Party |candidate = G. Cummins |votes = 331 |percentage = 0.9 |change = |party = Communist Party of Great Britain |candidate = J.M. Rogers |votes = 314 |percentage = 0.8 |change = |votes = 8,222 |percentage = 21.0 |change = |votes = 39,030 |percentage = 61.7 |change = |winner = Labour Party (UK)

|title=General election 1987: Leeds Central}} |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Derek Fatchett |votes = 21,270 |percentage = 55.6 |change = +7.7 |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = David Schofield |votes = 9,765 |percentage = 25.5 |change = +2.0 |party = Social Democratic Party (UK) |candidate = Karen Lee |votes = 6,853 |percentage = 17.9 |change = -9.0 |party = Communist Party of Great Britain |candidate = William Innis |votes = 355 |percentage = 0.9 |change = +0.1 |votes = 11,505 |percentage = 30.1 |change = +9.1 |votes = 59,019 |percentage = 64.8 |change = +3.1 |winner = Labour Party (UK) |swing =

Elections in the 1990s

|title=General election 1992: Leeds Central}} |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Derek Fatchett |votes = 23,673 |percentage = 62.2 |change = +6.6 |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = TC Holdroyd |votes = 8,653 |percentage = 22.7 |change = −2.8 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = David Pratt |votes = 5,713 |percentage = 15.0 |change = −2.9 |votes = 15,020 |percentage = 39.5 |change = +9.4 |votes = 38,039 |percentage = 61.3 |change = −3.5 |winner = Labour Party (UK) |swing = +4.7

Elections in the 2000s

|title=General election 2001: Leeds Central}} |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Hilary Benn |votes = 18,277 |percentage = 66.9 |change = -2.7 |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Victoria Richmond |votes = 3,896 |percentage = 14.3 |change = +0.6 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Stewart Arnold |votes = 3,607 |percentage = 13.2 |change = +1.9 |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = David Burgess |votes = 775 |percentage = 2.8 |change = New |party = Socialist Alliance (England) |candidate = Stephen Johnston |votes = 751 |percentage = 2.8 |change = New |votes = 14,381 |percentage = 52.6 |change = -3.3 |votes = 27,306 |percentage = 41.7 |change = -12.5 |winner = Labour Party (UK) |swing =

Elections in the 2010s

|title=General election 2015: Leeds Central{{cite news | title = Leeds Central | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/E14000777 | work = BBC News | access-date = 13 May 2015}} |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Hilary Benn |votes = 24,758 |percentage = 55.0 |change = +5.7 |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Nicola Wilson |votes =7,791 |percentage =17.3 |change =−2.9 |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = Luke Senior |votes =7,082 |percentage =15.7 |change =New |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = Michael Hayton |votes =3,558 |percentage =7.9 |change =New |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Emma Spriggs |votes = 1,529 |percentage = 3.4 |change = −17.4 |party = Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition |candidate = Liz Kitching |votes =330 |percentage =0.7 |change =New

|title=General election 2017: Leeds Central{{cite web | title = Leeds Central | url = http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Statement-of-Persons-Nominated,-Notice-of-Poll-and-Situation-of-Polling-Stations.pdf | publisher = Leeds City Council | access-date = 11 May 2017 | archive-date = 18 May 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170518222713/http://www.leeds.gov.uk/docs/Statement-of-Persons-Nominated,-Notice-of-Poll-and-Situation-of-Polling-Stations.pdf | url-status = dead |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Hilary Benn |votes = 33,453 |percentage = 70.2 |change = +15.2 |party = Conservative Party (UK) |candidate = Gareth Davies |votes = 9,755 |percentage = 20.5 |change = +3.2 |party = UK Independence Party |candidate = Bill Palfreman |votes = 2,056 |percentage = 4.3 |change = −11.4 |party = Green Party of England and Wales |candidate = Ed Carlisle |votes = 1,189 |percentage = 2.5 |change = −5.4 |party = Liberal Democrats (UK) |candidate = Andy Nash |votes = 1,063 |percentage = 2.2 |change = −1.2 |party = Christian Peoples Alliance |candidate = Alex Coetzee |votes = 157 |percentage = 0.3 |change = New |winner = Labour Party (UK) |swing = +6.0}}

| party = Labour Party (UK) | candidate = Hilary Benn | votes = 30,413 | percentage = 61.7 | change = −8.5 | party = Conservative Party (UK) | candidate = Peter Fortune | votes = 11,143 | percentage = 22.6 | change = +2.1 | party = Brexit Party | candidate = Paul Thomas | votes = 2,999 | percentage = 6.1 | change = New | party = Liberal Democrats (UK) | candidate = Jack Holland | votes = 2,343 | percentage = 4.8 | change = +2.6 | party = Green Party of England and Wales | candidate = Ed Carlisle | votes = 2,105 | percentage = 4.3 | change = +1.8 | party = Social Democratic Party (UK, 1990–present) | candidate = William Clouston | votes = 281 | percentage = 0.6 | change = New |winner = Labour Party (UK) |swing = -5.3 }}

Election results 1885–1955

Elections in the 1880s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1900s

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f9/Robert_Armitage.jpg" caption="Robert Armitage in 1906"] ::

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1914–15:

Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;

Liberal: Robert Armitage

Terry was supported by the three local branches of National Association of Discharged Sailors and Soldiers, National Federation of Discharged and Demobilized Sailors and Soldiers and Comrades of the Great War.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/1922_Robert_Armitage.jpg" caption="Robert Armitage in 1922"] ::

Elections in the 1920s

|title=General election 1923: Leeds Central}} |party = Unionist Party (UK) |candidate = Charles Wilson |votes = 14,853 |percentage = 56.2 |change = +6.2 |party = Labour Party (UK) |candidate = Henry Slesser |votes = 11,574 |percentage = 43.8 |change = +16.0 |votes = 3,279 |percentage = 12.4 |change = −9.8 |votes = 26,427 |percentage = 60.1 |change = −6.0 |reg. electors = 43,972 |winner = Unionist Party (UK) |swing = −4.9

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1950s

Notes

References

"'Leeds Central', June 1983 up to May 1997". Cognitive Computing Limited.
(12 December 2019). "Leeds Central Parliamentary constituency". [[BBC]].
. (1952). ["Statutory Instruments 1951"](https://books.google.com/books?id=RY1QAQAAIAAJ). *[[Her Majesty's Stationery Office]]*.
"Local statistics – Office for National Statistics".
"Politics".
[http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk Parish: Key Statistics: Economic.] ([[United Kingdom Census 2011. 2011 census]]) Retrieved 2016-05-04.
"Labour Members of Parliament 2015".
"Archived copy".
BBC. (2008-07-11). "Election Records". BBC News.
{{Rayment-hc. l. 1. (March 2012)
"UK General Election results: June 1983 [Archive]".
(9 April 1992). "Politics Resources". Politics Resources.
"Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].
(7 May 2010). "UK > England > Yorkshire & the Humber > Leeds Central". BBC.
"Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
"Leeds Central Parliamentary constituency". BBC.
(2 May 1885). "General News". [[Edinburgh Evening News]].
(7 June 1886). "Election News". [[Dundee Courier]].
British parliamentary election results, 1885–1918 (Craig)
Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. {{ISBN. 0-900178-06-X.
British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
"UK General Election results: July 1945 [Archive]".
"UK General Election results: February 1950 [Archive]".
"UK General Election results: October 1951 [Archive]".

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